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Archive for June, 2014

Someone Must Supervise

Spirit shares His understanding of timeless wisdom expressed
within the I Ching Hexagram 19 – Supervision.

Supervision follows Deterioration (18) in the sequential order
of life experiences represented by the sixty-four I Ching hexagrams. Supervision then becomes the foundation of Observing (20).

The need to consciously supervise the renovation or rebuilding
of whatever has been allowed to fall into an unhealthy condition
refers not only to structures of wood and stone, but also to
physical, mental, and spiritual disease processes, as well as to
personal, social, and political relationships.

Someone or some force must supervise the development of a new
phase in the life of whatever or whoever has deteriorated.
Situations do not improve on their own. This is a Law of Life.

Everything and everyone needs help to recover from whatever?

Yes.

But, does supervision necessarily involve control over the
recovery or rebuilding of whatever?

If necessary, yes.

Who decides?

I do.

That sounds personal.

It is, as is life.

What does that mean?

What do you think it means?

I’m afraid to guess.

Yes.

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I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, Understanding life's struggles

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There are no Future Lives

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless
wisdom expressed within the I Ching Hexagram 56 – Travel.
Fire is over Mountain. Fire is Yin and Mountain is Yang.
Fire will move when it can but Mountain is usually stable.

Travel builds on Abundance (55) and prepares a foundation
for Wind (57), in keeping with the endless progression of
life experiences of cause followed by effect, followed by
cause …

Abundance risks developing into stagnation or restlessness.
What does one do with one’s life after one has achieved
enough and has accumulated enough of society’s rewards to
almost satisfy one’s soul, and yet feel that something is
missing.

Perhaps it’s time to dare to open our eyes and to dare to
allow ourselves to accept that material wealth and even
physical health can become as a trap that limits our growth
and our incentive to move beyond the confines of conventional
limits of awareness

We seem to intuitively know that if we will allow ourselves
to see, there are worlds beyond worlds waiting for us to
discover them.

Wow! Are we talking about possible future lives?

There are no future lives. There is, was, and always will
be only one life to live and to liveor.

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applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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Understanding Inspires Us

A Spirit teacher shares His understanding of the timeless wisdom
expressed within the I Ching Hexagram 21 – Biting Through.

Fire is over Thunder. Fire represents a type of flexible yin energy.
Thunder is forceful yang.

Biting Through emerges from Observing (20) and prepares
the foundation for Adornment (22).

Wow! Each of those three situations or conditions seem
totally unrelated to either of the other two. How can there be
any sense of progression?

There isn’t.

Then, how are they each connected to the others?

When we observe whatever, we focus our attention and
that in itself is a necessary step in learning anything.
But, as important as it is, it is never enough. We must
then attempt to understand what it is that we observe,
and why it has attracted our attention. This requires
a mental form of biting through.

Where does adornment fit into this interpretation?

It is more than an interpretation. It is as it is.

Then please explain where or how adornment fits.

We adorn ourselves with what appeals to us and
the sense of satisfaction that comes from
understanding is appealing.

Unless we understand something that suggests danger.

Even then.

How?

Then our understanding of impending danger inspires us.

To respond to the danger?

Yes.

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applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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Unethical Advertising

Spirit shares His understanding of I Ching 43 – Removal.

“Lake is over Heaven. Both are yang, but Heaven is the most powerful Yang. Lake, in this instance, is as a butterfly on a rock.”

“Frail over solid; what interaction or common ground can the two share? ”

“A rock is not easily crushed or moved, but neither can it move itself, while a butterfly is easily crushed but it has power to move itself out of danger; lightness and mobility over power and immobility. Removal follows Increase (42), and develops, or evolves, into Meeting (44)..”

“That’s a curious sequential order.”

“How so?”

“I can understand that increase can become clutter and requiring downsizing, or removal of whatever no longer serves us well, but how does this lead to Meeting?”

“Meeting is coming together.”

“With whom, or what?”

“Awareness.”

“Of what?”

“Of what is necessary, or desirable and useful, and what is manufactured need.”

“How can need be manufactured?”

“Unethical advertising”

Category:

A wide (33%) middle way., I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, Understanding life's struggles

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Tomorrow will come, whether or not …

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

51 – Thunder develops from The Cauldron – 50, as today develops
from yesterday, and Thunder co-creates 52 – Mountain, as today
must come before tomorrow.

Tomorrow will come, whether or not we prepare for it.
Yesterday helped us, more or less, to prepare for today’s
experiences, and how we live today will determine, to some
extent, how well we cope with whatever tomorrow brings us.

Life is a Master Teacher, and provides us with experiences
that offer incentives to master personal skills and coping
strategies.

How we cope with whatever challenges that tomorrow brings
will depend very much on how we live today.

Wow! I’m glad that message applies to people younger than
myself.

It applies to everyone, always.

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applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, Understanding life's struggles, Universal laws apply even today

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The Unknown; within and beyond

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

16 – Pleasure – Thunder over Earth

Pleasure develops out of Humility and becomes Following.

Humility does not require low self-esteem. We can recognize
and take pleasure in knowing how far we have come on our
journey through Life, and yet, still be in awe of how far
we still must travel to satisfy our Soul.

Where does pleasure come into that awareness?

Pleasure is a necessary food for the Soul. Without pleasure
there can be no incentive to move forward.

Why?

Pleasure provides meaning to Life.

How?

We must enjoy what we are doing or where our efforts
may lead us, or why do anything or move toward anything?

Fear of losing something?

What?

I don’t know.

Yes.

What does that mean?

The unknown will always be within us and beyond us.

How can it be within and beyond? Oh, no. Don’t tell me.

Yes. It is another Universal Law.

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applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, Understanding life's struggles, Universal laws apply even today

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Between Beginnings and Endings

Spirit shares His understanding of timeless wisdom
hidden with the I Ching hexagram 46 – Rising.

Earth is over Wind. Both are Yin.
Rising follows Gathering (45) and moves into
Exhaustion (47).

Rising expresses upward movement, such as the Sun
seems to rise from the Eastern horizon, each morning,
wherever on Earth we may be. It then seems to reach
high into the sky, about mid-day, and then begins
to descend toward the Western horizon, arriving there
to end its daily journey, each evening.

How does that story relate to inspiration?

It teaches us that we live within a structured universe.
There are rules of order, known as Universal Laws.

How can knowing them help me, here and now, today?

Beginnings and endings are inevitable, but what happens
between the two reflects free will.

How?

We each choose.

What?

Not what, alone, but also how and why.

Category:

A wide (33%) middle way., applied philosophy to live by, enlightenment, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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Reduction without sacrificing

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom. “The focus of today’s lesson is on Hexagram 41 – Reduction – Mountain is over Lake.”

“How is that possible?”

“Mountains rise up out of water or earth.
They do things like that. Also, mountains are by nature, above
their surroundings, except for
mountains higher than themselves.

Reduction is the process of making
something less. It takes a superior
person to reduce whatever is under
her or his control.”

“Intentional downsizing?”

“Yes. Following a path of simplicity
does not require sacrificing personal
quality of life.”

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applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Inspirational reading, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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A third option

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

Hexagram 7 – The Army

The Army follows Contention and is followed by Closeness.

When enough people are discontented about whatever
social conditions exist, then they develop closeness
with each other and protest, hoping to pressure the
authorities to listen to their concerns.

When this happens, and it does, then authorities
may feel threatened; perhaps not personally, but
their vested interests in power and wealth may
seem to be at risk.

To appease the protesting masses or to suppress them?
This is a traditional either-or simplistic solution
that never really works to solve the problems that
caused the discontent.

A third option is needed?

Yes.

But, what?

A willingness by both sides to compromise and try
to understand the causes of the situation that
developed into general discontent, and to develop
ways and means to develop harmony.

This sounds more like group therapy than a personal
message.

There is no difference.

So, then, what does it say to me, today?

Are you at peace with everyone in your life?

Only on the surface.

Yes.

What does “yes” mean?

It means, in this instance, that I agree you are
in serious need of …

Mediation?

No. Meditation.

Category:

A wide (33%) middle way., I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, Understanding life's struggles

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The Receptive is never passive

Spirit shares His understanding of  the timeless wisdom of I Ching.

“Today’s focus is on Hexagram 2 – The Receptive. Earth is over Earth, yin over yin. Nothing can be created without expending energy. Receptivity to whatever expanding energy is always a necessary step in the creation of anything.That is the Law of the Yin and Yang within the limits of Tao. Our current culture seems to believe that receptivity is passive. It never is.”

“How can receptivity, being yin, be other than passive?”

“We choose what we accept or yield to, in thought or whatever. We each yield
in varying degrees to different aspects of ideas, actions, or emotions that the world
around us, if it could, would pressure us to accept. We each help to shape or determine outcome. Everyone is Yin and everyone is Yang in different situations. In any situation
we are both contributing and receiving information and influence.

We do not live in a vacuum of energy.We each, in some way, share responsibility
for the world we live in, by the way we each choose to live.

Is there a personal message for me?

Yes. Be aware of why you are choosing to live as you do.

…………

 

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A wide (33%) middle way., applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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